Blackhawks schedule features ‘bye week’ in February

The Blackhawks will open next season against the team that ended this one, as they host the St. Louis Blues in the season-opener on Oct. 12.

The NHL released the full schedule on Tuesday, and thanks to a late start due to the World Cup of Hockey, and the newly instituted “bye week” for each team — the latter a concession made to players for the 3-on-3 format of the All-Star game. The Hawks will have a well-timed break, getting Feb. 12-17 off after their six-game ice-show trip. The circus trip is a seven-game jaunt through Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles.